One out of every 7 of the nationās prison inmates is serving a life sentence, according to a report by The Sentencing Project. For Blacks, the proportion of lifers is in 1 in 5. Despite a growing consensus for prison reform, āWe see life sentences continue to accumulate,ā said senior research analyst, Ashley Nellis. Most people āage out of bad behaviorā in their 20s and 30s, āso incarcerating them for decades past that point serves no public safety benefit,ā she said.